Influenced Suicide
by Illusions of Insanity
Summary: She's had enough of this life. The way everyone turned against her after Lucina revealed Robin's connection with Grima was enough to push her off the edge. The hatred in their words and actions has become too much. She knows that the Shepherds want her dead, and she'll be happy to do just that. She'll kill Grima. This Little Bird will fly away from this cage. (LittleBird!AU)


A mighty roar resonated through the air as the fell dragon cut through the air, carrying his unwanted passengers further out above the ocean. The Shepherds were ready for this moment. After careful preparation and countless hours of training, they were about to face-off against Grima's host and end this horrible life of strife once and for all. The woman cursed with Grima's wrath spread her arms wide as her jarring eyes of crimson pierced through their armor. The twin pigtails of white at the sides of her face fluttered about as she boasted to the leader of the band of heroes, trying to strike him with fear. The woman at his side stood tall against her bold claims of superiority and violence. Her eyes instead narrowed against her grinning face as her daughter and son stood behind her, weapons raised and eyes sharp with hatred. However, this woman was _not_ Grima's reflection.

Instead, the monster's reflection was forced to hide in the back of the crowd. Broken brown eyes scanned the angry faces without a single breath, too engrossed in the way everyone spat out their hatred towards the woman with white hair. She felt her shoulders slump as she recalled how that anger had been hers to bear only heartbeats ago. There was no place in the Shepherds for the fell dragon. Manaketes, Taugels, legends and opportunists alike all shared this bond, something that she was vehemently excluded from. She was _not_ one of them. The hatred in their eyes told her such.

The grandmaster lifted her chin just as Grima's host summoned what seemed like hundreds of Grimleal to attack the group of heroes. Brown eyes watched on as the individuals far ahead of her reached for their weapons and raced off according to plan. Only, it wasn't her plan. Instead, a woman in black had provided the battleplans, despite once being an enemy herself. No, Aversa was the _new_ tactician to the Shepherds. Better one that was once an enemy than one that _is_ an enemy.

Robin felt her hand drift down to her silver sword just seconds before she heard the crackling of Thunder magic. Her eyes found the young princess using a familiar weapon, a Levin sword that had once taken place in her own sheath. Instead, her weapons had been confiscated and given to the army at large. The Shepherds had the pick of her supplies, and Lucina had been very certain to take the white-haired woman's trusted weapon, the one she had earned in the battle against Gangrel. Now her weapons had to be bought on hard-earned Buillions that had been snatched from dying Risen when the Shepherds were not looking. She was not one of them. She did not receive a share of their supplies, whether it be food, shelter or weapons. She had lost that honor when Lucina revealed her to be of fell blood. Since then, nothing had been the same.

Numbly, Robin raced ahead to join the battle. She knew now that trying to aid one of the Ylissean heroes would result in them shoving her away with bitter, venomous words. A swirl of guilt surfaced as she watched Laurent struggle beside his father Ricken, both sorely lacking in support after losing Miriel to a Risen skirmish. She had been unable to save her. They did not want the aid of a dragon in human flesh. Fury bubbled in her throat as she ran past them at full speed, her breath hot and shaking. Tears flooded her vision as the memories of their anger and distrust swirled in her mind.

Everything had been so perfect before Gangrel's death. Robin thought she had it all; the love of a prince, a family in the form of the Shepherds, and a home as Ylisse's star tactician. It did not matter that the white-haired woman lacked any memories before being found in a field of forget-me-nots. All that mattered is that she was a loyal member of the Shepherds and that she wanted to serve. Sure, not everyone liked her. Maribelle did not seem to approve of the tactician on _any_ grounds, whether it be her class or her abilities. She was unworthy trash to the blond, and she could live with that.

What she _couldn't_ live with was Chrom suddenly abandoning her and marrying the Troubadour instead. It was a painful blow to her pride. What had she done wrong? Hadn't he told her that he loved her, uncertain past and all? What about all of those long nights when the prince would place a hand on her back and work beside her, watching her with warm eyes? Did all of those little signs of affection he showed her mean nothing to him? Or was she simply a mistress? How could he lead her on with such promises before taking the hand of another woman— Her thoughts were shoved aside as the gleam of a weapon filled her vision. The grandmaster twirled around a Grimleal just seconds after he took a sloppy swing at her face. With a violent, burning frustration, she slashed the man brutally across the chest and left him to die on the back of the fell dragon. Voices rang out soon after, and she realized abruptly that she had stolen the kill from the two leaders of Regna Ferox, Basillio and Flavia. The two leaders shook their weapons angrily at her, eyes narrowed and armor gleaming in the sunlight. Robin shook her head as she ran away from the Khans, both of them yelling at her to _stay away_ from them and to never come closer to them, despite once holding her in high regard for her mental prowess.

The white-haired woman raced across the vast expanse of cracked scales and fallen Grimleal, her breath still hot and burning her nose. All around her the Shepherds fought on with a deadly accuracy and a fury that fueled them onwards. With an overwhelming pain in her chest, she found this rage the same that they directed at her. Her whole world crumbled when Lucina told them that Robin was bound to the fell dragon. All of those words of friendship, affection and trust shattered and instead were replaced with terror and rage. She was accused of being a wolf once again and this time there was proof to back up Frederick's suspicions. There was no way to deny it, either. Despite the fact that she had stood beside them all along, she was suddenly the enemy. However, instead of running her off, they forced her to stay as their prisoner. To let her go would be too much of a risk when she could run straight to Plegia and destroy them, her father waiting patiently for her to turn to the darkness's waiting arms and merge with Grima. What they didn't realize is that she would never stoop to such a level.

And so, against all of their abuse and anger, she stayed.

It was stupid, illogical for one to stay with those that stole her tent and weapons, forced her to hunt for squirrels and other small game to sustain herself and threw verbal weapons at her until she felt like she just might bleed from their gazes alone. However, that's exactly what happened. Deep down, she still felt something towards them. These people were once her family. They took her in when she had nothing and raised her to become the most brilliant tactician on the continent—and in Valm. Robin still remembered their friendship and the people they used to be, before Lucina and the other children accused her of murder, before Chrom betrayed her and chose Maribelle instead, they were all she had. Her brown eyes tore away from the dead bodies to find the Exalt fighting beside his children with a harsh yell, his blue eyes still hypnotic despite filling her with a nauseating pain. She forced herself to turn away as she found herself staring at him with a broken desperation, wishing with everything she had that she was still beside him and fighting in perfect synchronization with the blue-haired royal.

Deep down, she still loved Chrom, even if he listened to every hateful thing his daughter and wife said about her.

A terrible sound erupted behind her, forcing the grandmaster to turn around. A Grimleal beserker laughed as his axe swung straight for her side. Brown eyes slammed shut as Robin tried to dodge, but she was too slow. The blade connected with her hip and slashed her cloak open. A scream of pain slipped from her mouth as she stumbled back, her free left hand racing to clutch the area. Her knees shook as her hand quivered, revolted at the sensation of hot, wet blood. Fury bubbled up in her mouth as she glared at the man responsible. A flash of movement behind him made her realize that Lucina had stopped fighting off the men behind her father to watch, her narrow blues critical and burning with an overwhelming malice. She felt a flicker of hope before it was crushed by the royal. The young princess turned her back on the grandmaster, ignoring her wound and the threat behind her. Robin let out a bitter huff as she mentally scolded herself for hoping that the great lord would help her. Why would the blue-haired woman help her? She was Grima, after all. She wasn't fit to live.

With the fury still hot in her throat, Robin focused her bitterness and thrust her hand out towards the man. A bright yellow bolt of magic raced out and stabbed the laughing man in the gut, cutting off his mirth and replacing it with pained, confused sputters. The beserker fell to the ground as the white-haired woman stood a bit straighter, trying to regain her footing. The excommunicated Shepherd could not ask a healer for assistance. They would simply ignore her, acting as if she didn't exist in the best situation or cursing her until she ran off in the worst. Luckily, she had prepared for injuries. Her sword slipped back in its sheath as she struggled to find her item pouch. The warm feeling of blood was making it hard for her to stand up and keep it covered; she had always hated how flowing a wound could be. With a frantic energy, Robin pulled out a concoction and popped off the cork. She then hastily gulped some of it down, relishing the feeling of her skin closing around the wound and healing immediately. Her hand dropped from her mouth as she clutched the vial with a shaking hand. She only had two uses of this left. If she spaced it right, she could make it last—

"Out of my way, foul beast!" Robin was suddenly sent crashing to the back of the flying dragon as someone shoved her. To her horror, her concoction flew out of her hand and smashed against the rough scales below them. Her brown eyes shot up to find Inigo glaring down at her, his mouth clenched and his light brown eyes filled with triumph. She felt the dull pain in her chest sharpen as she realized that he had knocked her back on purpose with the intent of breaking her concoction. The young man just shook his head before spitting more hateful words at her, cursing her with foul words and mocking her. The grandmaster was silent as she peeled herself off the ground and stood up, her eyes never leaving her broken healing potion. That was her last one. Without it, there was no way to heal herself in this terrible battle.

The white-haired woman walked away in a numb daze. She should have expected that. The children always seemed to sabotage her in these battles. Robin wondered for a moment as to whether or not they were trying to kill her or if they were simply trying to break her. The grandmaster was starting to think that the children were trying to kill her, not just ruin her chances in battle. The young woman shoved the thought aside as she dashed through the battlefield, her eyes suddenly catching the sight of her reflection. Tears welled up in her eyes as she raced ahead, ignoring the way she cut through the Shepherds and Grimleal, outcast by both and hated by all.

"Monster," Cynthia, Sumia and Gaius spat as she dodged some 'stray' bolts of Arcthunder magic that almost struck her in the back. The pegasuses swooped down towards Robin as the woman ran past, blinded by her tears and the burring image of the white-haired host of Grima.

"Abomination," screeched Laurent and Ricken as she twisted around their opponent and cut the man down just as they were about to burn him alive with a dual Arcfire attack. She then ran on as their attack launched anyway, despite her being the only one near them.

"Disgusting traitor," shouted Yarne, Panne and Frederick as she ducked below the Taguel's claws and Frederick's silver lance. She just barely rolled out of the way of the great knight's horse as he sent his mare down to trample her.

"Filthy rat," Cordelia, Severa and Lon'qu screamed as she slipped through them and just barely missed the tip of an assassin's blade and Lon'qu's weapon. Robin felt a bit of her cloak get torn as Servera swung her sword at the rushing grandmaster, clipping the tail of her navy-blue robe. Wind slammed against her back as an Arcwind shoved her away, sending her at a breakneck pace.

"Cursed devil," Tharja, Noire and Virion yelled as the dark mage tried to hit her with a Nostferatu. Noire and Virion on the other hand used this as an opportunity to practice their aim, sending waves of arrows after her as she ran ahead in desperation.

"Grima's little pet," Nowi, Nah and Henry sneered as the two Manaketes blasted the passing grandmaster with fire. Robin dodged the two only to be dived upon by Henry's crows, the filthy birds pecking and scratching her until she was forced to cover her neck and head and run with her head down. The birds screeched at her as she dashed away, circling above the man they tailed.

"Scaly fiend," Cherche, Gerome and Gregor cried with rage as the two dragon riders forced her on with wyvern fire and sharp claws, while Gregor chased after Robin with his axe and sword, one in each hand and both swinging madly in an attempt to hit her. The white-haired woman kept moving with blurred vision, her only focus being reaching the host of the fell dragon.

"She-wolf," Olivia, Inigo and Vaike snarled as the young woman weaved through them and jumped out of the way of their blades. The young hero Inigo chased after her a little ways, swinging his axe with every intent to strike her. Still, she raced ahead, even as the tears in her eyes burned her skin and stabbed her brown orbs until the world became nothing but blurs of color.

"Absolute disgrace," Sully, Kjelle and Libra growled as they suddenly switched from attacking a Grimleal sorcerer to jabbing at her with their weapons. Even the priest-turned-warrior took a few swings at the passing woman, shouting out curses against _'the evil within'_ her heart and glaring at her the whole time. Only after ducking behind their original opponent was she able to run past them.

"Inhuman monstrosity," Owain, Lissa and Stahl bellowed as the three of them tried to force her away. They were right behind Chrom and his family, protecting them from any swift attacks from behind. The grandmaster said nothing. Instead, she jumped away from sword and axe alike, her eyes fixated on her reflection. She _was_ going to get through, even if the Shepherds tried to kill her now. Robin managed to slip past them without any injuries although her cloak had once again been maimed in the process. Now it fluttered just a bit closer to her, losing a few centimeters from the two sword-wielders.

Finally the white-haired woman was standing behind the royal family. Her eyes burned as she blinked away her tears, the words of the Shepherds ringing in her ears. Was she really all of those things? A monster, a devil and a dragon...could she really be such a thing? As Robin's brown eyes caught sight of the crimson eyes of her reflection, she knew it had to be true. She was nothing to them. Worse than nothing, actually. She was a monster, a hideous beast. Her footsteps slowed to a single step forward as she lifted her chin with the last broken shred of dignity she had left. The sound echoed off of the chipped scales of Grima's back, drawing the attention of the Exatled family. Lucina was the first to glare at her, the first to snarl at her and lift her sword.

"Murderer!" The young princess took a violent swing at the tactician, her Parallel Falchion glowing with her venom and the sunset behind them. The grandmaster simply leaned away from the weapon, letting the young woman fall past her and curse her name. Maribelle narrowed her eyes into slits as she stared at Robin, her gaze critical and hateful.

"Just _what_ do you think you're doing here?!" The blond scrunched up her nose as her son remained silent, his violent grey eyes speaking volumes more than his coarse tongue could. Chrom slowly turned around to find the object of his wife's fury. He stopped with a stoic face as he found the white-haired woman standing behind them, her eyes cold and emotionless. "There's no place for a dragon like you in the Shepherds," Maribelle spat. "You should just die! You deserve it!"

Just as the words left her mother's mouth, Lucina spun around behind the tactician and slammed her sword into Robin's back. The young woman let out a choked sound of pain as she was sent crashing to the scales face-first. Chrom's eyes widened momentarily before he turned away. The blue-haired man did not give the scene another glance, even as his daughter pulled the woman up by the collar of her cloak and shoved her to her brother.

"Yer disgustin'!" Brady growled as his axe shimmered in the orange sunlight. His sister switched to the grandmaster's confiscated Levin sword with a mocking grin, watching as the woman's brown eyes gleamed with pain and tears. "Yer nothin' but Grima's puppet! Ya' have no place with us!"

Maribelle, despite her high upbringing, then started to spit out foul words Robin's way, shouting words that would earn her place among sailors, thieves and the sinful section of any church of Naga. The blond sneered and screamed at the white-haired woman, even going so far as to get her face as shout at the top of her lungs. Robin remained silent. Instead, she stared ahead, her vision blurred with pain and her mind racing. She only watched on as the Exalt's wife raised a hand, charged a bit of fire magic and slapped her across the cheek, burning her face with a vibrant red mark and forcing the white-haired woman to fall on her side. Robin sat up with a defiant yet broken glare, her cheek throbbing with the burn and impact of Maribelle's hand.

Robin's gaze snapped away from the three attackers to instead steal a glance at the blue-haired Exalt. Chrom stood with his back to them, his free left hand balled in a fist and shaking beside him. His right hand however placed his Exalted Falchion back in its sheath and reached for a different weapon, a throwable lance. The great lord seemed to stand just a bit straighter as he curled his fingers around the handle. His knuckles were red like blood as he abruptly spun around and flung his short spear at the fallen grandmaster. The woman pulled herself back just enough as to have the lance stab the dragon right below the split in her legs, the weapon nearly stabbing her.

"Get out of here," Chrom growled. He turned to face them just as Robin's heart seemed to wither in her chest. "You're not a Shepherd. You're a wolf." He paused for a moment before closing his eyes and shaking his head. He then snapped his piercing blue eyes open with a tight stance as he scowled down at Robin. "No, you're even worse than a wolf! You're a _dragon_! You're nothing but Grima's other half! You're the reason my children went through so much! You destroyed the whole world, killed my wife and the rest of my Shepherds and even went so far as to kill _me_!"

The great lord took a harsh step towards her as his family fell back, their eyes gleaming with vicious victory. "Even now, you tried to kill me." Chrom's voice was low with rage as he glared at the woman on the back of the dragon. His fist motioned to Grima's host, the woman watching the events with clear interest. "You tried to kill me at the Dragon's Table, and your double tries to kill me now. There is no place among us for a traitorous, murdering host of Grima." His eyes were cold as he then spat out words that made Robin's heart stop beating.

"Death is the _only_ thing a monster like you deserve."

Robin felt the hot tears burn her cheeks as she forced herself to stand up. Her brown eyes avoided the look of triumph on the family behind the Exalt and the bitterness in his blue eyes. Instead, she slowly walked past them, ignoring how Chrom ordered her to _'stay there'_ and to _'stay far away from Grima'_. Instead, she walked right up to her reflection, the fury that had scorched her throat and blinded her earlier now swirling in her stomach. She stopped dead just as she heard her reflection laugh, her voice echoing out above her head and carrying a terrible tone of malice.

"I tried to warn you, dear," the white-haired host sneered. "These people never cared about you. You mean nothing to them! All they want to do is see you suffer." Robin narrowed her eyes as she watched Grima's host reach out a hand towards her. "It hurts, doesn't it? They way they curse you and spit at you...it's painful." The purple smoke billowing up from her skin only thickened as she leaned in towards the grandmaster and whispered in her ear. "Even worse seeing the man you loved throw you away for that bitter, miserable viper." That fury swam in her gut as misery poured over it, creating a poisonous mixture that threatened to make her sick. "He simply used you. You were nothing more than a pretty-faced distraction to keep him amused during wartime. He never _truly_ loved you."

"Get away from her, you viper!" Robin looked back with a foolish flicker of hope. Could Chrom be yelling at her reflection, trying to save her from the evil mirror? She felt that feeling only die again as the man pointed his Exatled Falchion at _her_ , not her double. "If you side with her, I swear I will kill you right here!" She turned back towards the purple smoke and choked on the bitterness in her throat. She was so pitiful, still grasping for some sort of miracle. The way she kept hoping was disgusting, even to herself.

"See?" Grima's host cooed as she gently brushed a tear from Robin's burned cheek. "He doesn't care about you. He sees you as nothing more than a monster." The woman from the twisted future slowly motioned behind the grandmaster's back. "Look how they watch you with such vicious eyes." Robin looked over her shoulder once again to find the Shepherds watching her just as the tactician said, with contempt bright in their faces. The white-haired outcast turned away with a stinging in her eyes as her reflection just gently cupped her face. "You deserve better than that, dear. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all of that hate would just fade away?"

"...It can't," Robin croaked.

"I know," Grima's host murmured. "This vile emotion of theirs will _never_ go away." Her blood-red eyes shut with a chuckle as she shook her head. "It will stay with them until their dying breath. They'll never love you, Robin. They'll never love you...like I do." Robin's head jerked up as she stared in a shocked stupor at her reflection. The fell dragon's host gave her a warm, sympathetic smile as her hands gently rested on the grandmaster's shoulders.

"What are you—"

"The Grimleal worship the very air you breathe, Robin." Those red eyes suddenly became hypnotic and swirling with warmth, bringing confusion to the abandoned woman. "Millions of people love you and treasure you for simply existing." Her right hand released Robin's shoulder as she slowly motioned towards the fell dragon itself and the Grimleal on board. "Grima and I want you to be happy, you know. You would be loved and respected by our side. No one would ever hurt you again." Brown eyes swirled with weakness as the murmurs twisted in her mind. "You would never feel the stab of hatred or rejection ever again."

"Your future is with us, Robin, not some bitter Shepherds who can't even recognize what a wonderful person you are."

The grandmaster was silent as she stared her reflection in the eye. Grima's host stepped back a bit and spread her arms out wide, acting as if she was waiting for the woman to rush forward and embrace her. Robin slowly turned her head to stare at the Shepherds that had gathered behind her. Just as she expected, the group stood with weapons raised and cautious glares at the white-haired woman. They did not trust her. They expected her to take Grima's offer any second now and attack them.

 _"...You should just die."_ Maribelle's words echoed in her mind, bringing the numb and yet overwhelming pain that plagued her chest with them. _"You deserve it!"_ Her hands shook as she stood there, the burn on her cheek agitated by her tears.

 _"Murderer!"_

 _"Yer nothin' but Grima's puppet!"_

 _"Death is the only thing a monster like you deserves."_

Suddenly all of the words the Shepherds had stabbed her with echoed in her mind, drawing blood from her skin as she felt the spot where Lucina had struck her throb. The curses, shouts and names spun in her thoughts as she stood there, tears racing down her cheeks and staining the dark scales of the fell dragon's shoulders. Her shoulders quivered as she tried to force the pain away, but the miserable feelings just would not disappear. Instead they multiplied and spread through her bloodstream to fill her body with the horrible pain.

Robin had no place among the Shepherds. Just as Grima's host said, the venom they held towards her would never die until _they_ did. Chrom and everyone else would always hate her. She was nothing but a rat, a viper, a dragon, a wolf and a devil to them. She would never have their respect...or their love. As much as it hurt to think on it, she would never have someone love her as the women in the Shepherds had. They all had families; they had a husband who loved them unconditionally and a child who adored them. The grandmaster didn't have that. She only had their hatred and violent emotions that came with it. She would never have a husband who loved her and a child who treasured her...

She would never have the love Chrom gave to Maribelle, or the affection Lucina and Brady both gave their father. Not from the Exalt, or from anyone else. That was something that would _never_ be hers. It was something as distant as the stars above their heads at night; beautiful but unreachable.

...But...did she have a place beside Grima?

"...You're right." Robin's reflection grinned as the white-haired grandmaster sniffled and brushed her tears away with her sleeve, her free hand still holding her sword. She lifted her voice so the Shepherds behind her could hear every little words she said. "You're right." The angered sounds of the crowd did nothing to stop the young woman as she looked her future self in the eye. "The Shepherds will never love me, or even respect me. They will always hate me; they will toss me aside and take everything I have from me, even stooping so low as to try to steal my breath from my lungs. They will never love me...not like you do."

Grima's host beamed as the young woman stood a bit taller, her shoulders easing up as she curled her fingers around the hilt of her sword absently. "I know that now for sure, even if it hurts..." She fought the urge to look back, to take one last glance at the people behind her. Robin knew that she would just stare at Chrom one last time, to give him some sort of pitiful look. No, she wasn't going to be so weak. She was stronger than that. She had to be. "You and I...we are connected. We are both part of something greater. We're Grima, all of us." She didn't say that she felt this from the bitterness the Shepherds had given her after Lucina's confession, or from the way it was constantly shoved in her face. She couldn't bear to add the rest of the sentence. "My future is with you." The Robin from the twisted future nodded happily as it seemed even Grima himself rumbled in pleasure. It was as if they truly were happy to have her...

"Only," Robin chuckled bitterly, "It's not in the way you think!"

Suddenly Robin slashed the smoke-enveloped form of her reflection with her silver sword, catching the white-haired shell off guard and forcing her back with a scream of pain. The grandmaster grit her teeth as the shock faded from the host's crimson's eyes and instead was replaced with rage. The dragon in human flesh roared in anger before summoning the head of the fell dragon, the great beast looking over his shoulder and glaring at the small form of the grandmaster.

"You fool!" The fell dragon's puppet screamed as the Shepherds let out sounds of confusion. Robin ignored them; she was too focused on the way Grima was readying a blast of purple fire. "You'll pay for your choice," Grima's host spat. "You've just thrown your only chance away! Now you'll die beside those who abandoned you!"

Purple spikes erupted from the ground as the twisted tactician attacked. Robin struggled back, trying to avoid the violet thorns only to be stabbed in her right arm. The white-haired woman let out a scream of pain as the spikes traveled on and cut off the Exalt from the crowd. Lucina and her mother screamed out as Chrom was forced away from them, left alone with the fell dragon, his host and the one with fell blood in her veins. Crimson eyes focused on the bleeding grandmaster as their owner just laughed.

"You'll die beside the very man who threw you aside!" Grima let out a roar before spitting out his flames, the bright blast heading straight for the young woman. Robin lifted her sword to block the attack as the violet thorns faded away, releasing their captive audience. Maribelle raced to her husband just as the fire was inches from impact. Chrom's blue eyes grew wide as he rushed to the blond and blocked the attack with his own body, leaving Robin to be tossed back in a painful embrace of fire.

Her body hit the scales of the dragon as her heartbeat flooded her ears.

Brown eyes lifted to find Chrom without a scratch. Robin choked on the pain as she realized that her double never aimed for him in the first place. He had no need to protect Maribelle. Her arms shook as the grandmaster tried to lift herself up. Her vision swayed and blurred as she stared her double in the face. The white-haired woman was laughing with gleaming eyes, her shoulders jumping with every sound. Venom rushed in her veins as she forced herself up.

This was it. She was tired of being abused like this. All of the fury she's held back is suddenly rushing in her bloodstream and screaming at her to _kill her double_ right here and now. Robin may have been passive about it before out of fear of making things worse and a broken spirit, but she was done with this terrible life. The grandmaster remembered a whispered conversation, a talk between royals and a goddess. She wasn't supposed to hear those words, but she heard them just the same. The white-haired woman had a plan, and she was going to use it.

Her brown boots slammed against the dragon's scales as she rushed up with a crackling, shaking hand. Yellow energy gathered in her palm as she heard people screaming behind her. An explosion hit her ears only seconds after she swerved around a bit of remaining purple magic. She could feel her arm throb as the Thoron became an overwhelming force in the very palm of her hand. With an insane-sounding yell, she fired at her double. The woman staggered back as purple smoke slipped away and black blood slipped from her pale mouth. Robin coughed as she found red blood being forced up from her own mouth, hot and sticky. The metallic tang only forced the grandmaster ahead as the words of Naga rang in her ears, her sword quickly taking strike after strike and forcing more cuts to appear on the two reflections and bringing forth a sickening amount of blood.

 _"Grima and Robin are indeed connected."_ Robin took another swing at her double, cutting her right on her side. The sealed wound on her side burst back open as her mirror earned a new wound that bleed through her cloak. The dragon's host blasted the grandmaster away with a large ball of purple, painting the scales of the dragon's shoulders with crimson. Brown eyes strained against the sea of purple as the white-haired tactician stood there, panting for breath. _"The two of them are of the same blood, fell blood. However, there is a way to kill Grima for good."_

Robin shook as she forced herself up. She couldn't fail, not now. Without even taking a passing glance at the Shepherds that had betrayed her, the grandmaster rushed ahead with her sword at the ready. The silver blade gleamed in the orange sunset as it found a resting place in the twisted host's stomach. A scream of pain echoed out as the duo became frozen in place, the pain overwhelming them both. Tears rushed to Robin's eyes as a matching wound appeared on her own stomach, her purple cloak becoming drenched in crimson.

 _"Grima can only be killed by his own hand. If this happens however, all of fell blood will die."_

A twisted, relieved smile slipped on Robin's face through the tears. The woman in front of her sputtered out as she realized the choice that had been made. She opened her mouth to curse the grandmaster but no words came. Instead, blood bubbled up from her lips as she faded away into clouds of violet and shimmering specks of silver. The silver sword fell on Grima's scales as the white-haired woman struggled to stay on her feet. Grima let out a roar of agony as she turned around, her hands shaking as she slowly reached for the wound on her stomach. The horrible stench of metal filled her nose as the crimson slipped from her lips. Through the excruciating pain and the burning tears, Robin laughed.

Her brown eyes were clouded with the first signs of death as she took one last look at the people who wounded her, cursed her, abandoned her and wanted nothing more than death for her. Horrified looks greeted her as she stumbled over, the laughing still persisting even as it gurgled through her blood. She watched as Chrom backed away, acting as if she was diseased. Robin just stepped closer until the others back away from their leader and left him to face the white-haired fell blood alone.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Her voice was delirious with the pain and the strain. Another twisted laugh left her lips as the Exalt's eyes began to fill with tears. Through the grandmaster's own tears, she could see his wife cowering with her children, hate still overwhelming their eyes. "This is what you said you wanted!" Robin sobbed through her laughing as the crimson fell from her hands and stained the scales below her feet. "You said I deserved death and now here I am," she sneered. Her voice was both bitter and happy at the same time, strained from the pain and the pleasure of the death that was so close to her.

"You said I deserved death and now here I am," she repeated. Her eyes were losing color as her skin became a horrible white. "I'm dying right in front of you! Grima's dying, Chrom! Isn't that wonderful?!" Chrom was silent as the woman shivered in front of him. His blue eyes gave nothing away; his gaze was cold and emotionless as he watched her break. " _I'm_ dying, Chrom!"

The lack of response was killing her faster than her wounds were. Robin shook as the tears mingled with her bloodstains. " _I'm dying_ ," she growled, looking for some sort of response. The man before her just stared at her, his eyes not giving a single bit of emotion away. A growl gurgled in the woman's throat as she found him emotionless. "That's it?!" Her breath was hot as she continued to shake with rage, misery and pain. Her heart felt like it was being torn out of her chest as she felt her knees shake. "You're just going to stand there?!"

"Aren't you happy," she sobbed. Blue eyes widened only slightly as Robin felt her knees give out. The white-haired woman fell to her hands and knees as the metal stench filled her nose and filled her mind with fuzzy pictures of her life. "I'm dying just like you wanted! Are you _happy_ now, Chrom," Robin screamed. Her voice was quivering as she tried to stand back up. Her arms and legs felt like they were made of stone. Faded brown eyes looked down only to coax nausea into her systems. The crimson was staining everything; her hands, her clothes and every inch of scales below her was a vibrant red.

"Say it!" The tears keep on falling as she struggled to hold on, her vision blurring. She wanted him to give her an answer. "Say that you're happy that I'm dying," Robin shrieked. The people behind Chrom became nothing more than blurs of color as the grandmaster felt her mind drift away from her. Her breathing increased until it was nothing more than shivering gasps for air that left her chest screaming out in pain. "Are you happy now, your highness?! I'm dying, just for you!" The orange lights faded away as darkness started to creep up on the edges of her vision. She didn't have much longer and yet the Exalt was still emotionless, motionless.

Blackness surrounded her as Robin's body fell on its side. The crimson flicked beside her before fading away, leaving her pale skin alone in a sea of black. Eyes burning and screaming out in a desire to close, the young woman looked up to find Chrom the only thing left in this world of darkness beside herself. Her throat was scorching as she struggled against the foul taste of blood in her mouth.

"Say it," the dying woman pleaded. "Say that this makes you happy." Her voice was faint now as the black started to shift and seep up her motionless form. The pain seemed to float away as a dull numbness took over her figure. Fighting against it, she lifted her right arm and reached out towards the man that had betrayed her, towards the one who had loved her once and tossed her aside for another. She reached out for the one who had fallen in the sea of malice that his daughter had brought along with her and used to drown the grandmaster in agonizing rejection and abuse. Robin reached out for the man that despite all else, she somehow still felt the burning ember of affection. Her white hand shook in the air as the purple mark on her hand seemed to burn on her skin. "Please, say that it makes you happy."

A complete lack of sound took over as the man stood still. Her hand fell with a dead thunk as her head rested against the black. Robin's eyes just managed to catch a flicker of movement. Chrom's lips were moving without sound as he started to blur and fade away from her vision. Her slight grip on life slipped away as her eyes closed and she fell victim to the darkness. The Shepherds watched on as her body became the same purple smoke that her reflection had been before fading into the dying sunlight. Silver sparks filled the sky like stars as her body became nothing but smoke on the breeze. She disappeared within seconds, leaving only the dark red stains on Grima's scales.

* * *

Somewhere far away, Robin felt lighter than the air itself. She seemed to be floating in a sea of darkness as the pain fell away. The bleak atmosphere instead became a warm embrace, holding her close after a terrible existence of agony and betrayal. The young woman lifted her chin as the warmth took over her body, making her skin tingle and prick with pleasure. This darkness was the opposite of the one she had felt only moments ago. This pressure was welcomed as she seemed to float in air. Just as she gave in to the sensation, a soft glow took over the dark. Green light bathed her as her eyes fluttered open.

Shock filled her veins as she found Naga standing before her, the black world melting away and instead being replaced with Mount Prism's luscious grasses and fragrant flowers. Despite the lack of emotion she had felt in life visiting it, the pleasing feeling of safety washed over her. The gentle warmth seeped in her skin and brought back the missing color to her flesh as the ancient dragon nodded at the grandmaster.

Robin slowly recovered from the abrupt discovery and instead felt solid ground under her feet again. The white-haired woman gave the so-called goddess a cautious look as the green-haired dragon smiled at her. The sight seemed to make her chest squirm with the desire to relax, but the grandmaster seemed unable to listen to it. Instead she swallowed hard and stared in awe at the glowing green in front of her.

"A-Am I...?" Naga simply nodded, her eyes heavy with what looked like sadness. Any second now and Robin expected the dragon of light to attack her just as her followers had before. The grandmaster shifted awkwardly in fear and uncertainty. All around her, everything seemed so perfect. She felt as if she were safe in a cradle of warmth. She wanted to close her eyes and sleep here forever and forget all about the life she had left behind. But, this place was Naga's dwelling. She had no right, as one of fell blood, to stay here. She was a monster. That was the one thing she knew more than anything else—

"Child, you are no monster." Naga's voice rang out with a soothing tone, somehow bringing both fear and ease to Robin's mind. The green-haired goddess shook her head with warm eyes before reaching out and brushing a bit of bloodstained hair from the grandmaster's eyes. To her surprise, the dried blood slipped from her hair like water and became nothing but dust as it fell away from her white hair. Brown eyes lifted in questioning before finding the dragon smiling that warm, gentle smile again. "You may have been of fell blood once, but that does not make you a monster."

"But what about everything they said to me?" Robin watched the warmth in Naga's eyes become replaced by sorrow. "Th-they said that I was nothing more than Grima in a human body. They treated me like I was worse than nothing, like I really was nothing more than Grima himself. H-How is it that I'm—"

"Even I do not understand how they turned against you, Robin." Her name seemed like a wonderful thing when the goddess said it, not like how it had been destroyed and mutilated under the thorns of various Shepherds. "I never could have foreseen this change in them. This...this was never supposed to happen." Naga looked away with sad eyes before looking back to the grandmaster. "I never wanted this to happen to you. That malice and venom...it was never supposed to be for you, child. For Grima, yes. But for you, their tactician, never. You had so much better things in your future than that." Tears welled up in brown eyes as Robin struggled against those words. She couldn't believe them, even as they were spoken by a goddess, someone that man feared and praised.

"Why," she choked. Naga seemed to hold back tears of her own as the grandmaster shook. "If this wasn't supposed to happen, then why did I live through it? I thought that I could change my destiny. I thought that I could earn back that trust and love that I lost..." The woman suddenly felt anger slip in her blood as she snapped her head up and glared at the green-haired dragon. "But in the end everything was the same! I gave up _everything_ and yet they still hated me! Why?! What purpose does this serve me?! How is _this_ for the better?!"

Naga slowly reached out and rested her hand on Robin's shoulder, watching as the tears slipped from her chin and shimmered silver in the sunlight of this place. "Please, do not cry, child." Robin lifted her chin to find the goddess with a bittersweet smile on her face. "The events that happened there may have been out of my control, but there is something I can do for you." Brown eyes narrowed as the dragon took a step back and cupped her hands. To her surprise, a gentle green glow covered her normal outline of green and shimmered in her palm. Naga opened her eyes and suddenly a Second Seal rested in her palms, the blue metal twisting around a spinning orb of _gold_ instead of the deep blue it was known for. Naga then held out the object with that little smile of hers.

"I want to give you a second chance." The metal object spun on its own as the sphere floated in the air above the dragon's palm. Naga's voice was light and yet filled with the sorrow that was clinging to Robin's skin. "You deserved so much better than this. Your future was supposed to be so much greater than what it was." Naga's green eyes shimmered as she held out the object to the grandmaster. "And so, I want to grant you a chance at a better life, without Grima's influence."

Robin reached out for the object with her right hand but stopped dead at what she saw. The back of her hand was a pale color and clear from any crimson or lavender markings. Tears stung her eyes as she stared at her own hand, awed by the lack of Grima's mark. "Go on," Naga cooed. "Grima's grip on your heart is gone. Your choice killed him and freed you from his blood. You are no longer fell blood, Robin. You are of my people, just as you have always been." The woman's fingers curled around the sphere as the last of her tears slipped from her cheeks.

A life without that hatred...could it really be hers? She still felt like she was a monster, not a woman. She has spent so long hearing the horrible names and curses that people had spat her way that she could hardly think of herself as a human being. Could there really be a life without that hatred? As Robin took the Second Seal, she lifted her eyes to the mystical goddess for clarification. Naga smiled before looking to her right.

"I'm afraid that my promise of you returning if your bonds were strong enough was not fulfilled." Robin didn't even feel sorrow at her words; she knew better than to expect that promise to be valid. "Some still question as to whether bonds of hate are stronger than ones of love, or if it's the opposite. Even I do not know the answer to that question," Naga admitted. "However, I do know that you and all people deserve happiness. Perhaps if everyone were happy, evil would not exist." Her green eyes fluttered shut as she turned back to the white-haired woman.

"I will send you to another realm." Naga unfolded a hand and a glowing blue floated above her palm, striking Robin with a resemblance to the Outrealms portal. "You were the happiest in the war with Plegia. Therefore, I will send you to another place, a mirror of your world." Her eyes lifted to Robin's brown orbs and the grandmaster was suddenly struck by a swirling mist of blue within those green eyes. "There is a Robin of that world...but he is different from you."

" _He_?" Robin swallowed as she stared at the Second Seal in her palm. The idea of a second chance seemed so wonderful and yet terrifying at the same time. What if that world turned out just as her own did? What if she—and _him_ , the Robin of that realm—were both hunted down and treated as she once was for their connection to Grima? Her eyes narrowed with determination as she felt a flicker of anger resurface. No, she would not let that happen again. Not to herself. Not to the Robin of that world, either. She would warn him of her fate and train him to protect himself. If she ever crossed paths with that reflection of her, she would do her best to change his fate.

The Second Seal in her palm spun madly as a blue light engulfed her body. She did not even lift her gaze to steal a glimpse of Naga. Instead, she closed her eyes and waited for the light to wither away. The burst of blue seemed to engulf her for centuries before she felt herself falling, racing downwards and helpless to move. The ground met her with a feathery impact as sharp bolts of cold raced through her skin.

Robin laid there for a few moments, listening to her heartbeat gush in her ears and the muted howl of the wind. Her eyes weakly fluttered open to find a world of white swirling around her. Her gaze wandered until she found what appeared to be bloodstained snow near her stomach, almost as if her wounds had been here instead of on the scales of a terrifying dragon of destruction and death. The grandmaster slowly lifted herself to a sitting position as she looked around. Surrounding her on all sides were thick pines, their deep emerald needles covered in a fine dust of white. Robin tilted her head up to find a grey sky churning above her and sending white snow down to the ground with a fury.

A gleam of blue flashed in the corner of her eyes. The white-haired woman found the Second Seal sticking out of the snow with a slight glow of azure, still providing the proof that she had been _talking_ to Naga herself and given a second chance in life only from the mercy of the dragon. A bit of thankfulness lifted in her chest as she picked up the blue metal and looked directly ahead of her. She had to be somewhere in Regna Ferox; the thick trees and blistering cold was enough to tell her that. However, she still had no idea _when_ she was. All Naga had said was that Robin had been the happiest during the war with Plegia. How was going to help her—

Then she realized where she was. She had to be right at the start of the war! Robin jumped to her feet as the snow wove itself in her hair, her pigtails flying about in the harsh wind. This must be near the Longfort, the first major event in the war against the desert kingdom. She could still remember how she had trudged after the blue-haired prince with a smile on her face and a purpose, pleased with the prospect of aiding the man who had found her. The memory quickly soured on her tongue, forcing the woman to growl and force it away. She was not going to be so foolish this time.

Perhaps it would be better to ignore the war entirely and just think of herself. It was not her job to find the Robin of this world and warn him of the hate she had received in her own time and realm. It had only been a fleeting thought, nothing more. She had no obligations to him, only to herself and her own happiness. The chill of the metal in her hands brought her attention back to the Second Seal. With this, she could be any class she wanted. She could wield any weapon; she could join any job and become someone completely new. She could escape the skin of Robin, the woman who had been betrayed by those who she cared most about. She could be anyone she wanted.

She closed her eyes as she stood tall in the world of white. So many possibilities swirled in her mind. She could choose something completely new. Robin could be an assassin or a great knight. Heck, she could even be a pegasus knight! She could be anything she wanted! For a small second, she thought about becoming a Wyvern Rider. That way, she could rule above the dragon that had ruined her life and hold power above their kind. Her eyes slowly opened as she felt a thorn of sadness in her chest. No, she could never be something like that. She knew deep down what she was. With a great sigh, she watched the orb of blue glow a deep sapphire and float above her head. The golden center sent sparks of gold all around her in a beautiful display, much like the fireworks that had welcomed Chrom and his bride home. The tattered cloak she wore shrank back and shifted with her, changing into her new attire.

Then, the glowing stopped. As the last of the gold dust faded away, Robin glanced down at her sleeves. A deep navy blue covered her arm with a deep violet running through them. Strange eyeball patterns rested in the dead center of the bolt of purple and sent a shiver down her spine. The cuff of her sleeve gleamed with golden threads as she stood just a bit taller. The transformation was complete. The grandmaster was no more. Instead, she was once again a tactician. She would reset herself but keep her skills. She could never imagine a life without a sword and a tome at her side. This is what she was.

Her brown boots dug a trench through the snow as she wandered to the west. Pale hands reached up and grabbed at the long-forgotten hood of her cloak. The familiar comfort of having her face obscured soothed a bit of anxiety in her chest. Robin's eyes lifted as she soon found herself staring at the Longfort, Feroxi soldiers walking about and checking the area for intruders. She faintly wondered if she was before or after the Shepherds passed through before watching a small band of people walk up to the gate. Her heart seemed to twist in pain as she found a man with blue hair leading the way and calling up to the commander of the outpost. Beside him was a man in a cloak similar to her own, his hair short and white like the snow whirling around her.

As she watched the events leading up to the skirmish on the Longfort unfold, Robin clenched her fist. The group seemed so happy, even as they were insulted by the woman commanding the fort. There was no trace of hate directed at the tactician. Instead, people openly showed him encouragement and smiles. It was just as her life used to be before Lucina and the children from the future had ripped it apart. A part of her wondered if her life had been changed for the worst when the children arrived or when Chrom married the nobleblooded Maribelle. She couldn't quite decided whether she was upset at the children or the woman he chose. Who was the person responsible for her pain—

She was pulled out of her anguished pondering by a loud scream.

That was Lissa's voice. Robin snapped her head up and scanned the battle furiously. Lissa never got hurt in the battle here. No one was ever in danger; she made sure of that. She soon found the blond healer tending to the Robin of this world, her head turned towards the upper level of the fort. The tactician followed her gaze until she felt a sick feeling enter her chest. There was Chrom, kneeling on the ground with only his weapon to protect himself. He was all alone against a Feroxi knight with a powerful iron lance—something she knew outclassed the Shepherds at this point. This enemy would surely be the death of the prince.

Robin stood emotionless as the knight approached Chrom. The blue-haired man struggled to get on his feet as the ice below him tried to keep him grounded. This was it. Chrom would surely die from this man's attack. There would be no Exalt Chrom, no Lucina and no terrible betrayal. There would be no reason for them to turn against this world's Robin now. As she watched Chrom fall to his face and the Falchion slide away from him and stop out of reach, an echo of the life she left behind filled her mind.

 _"Aren't you happy?"_ The man seemed to grin at the fallen prince as he raised his weapon high above his head, preparing a death blow. The Shepherds screamed out in helplessness as Chrom turned his head away and cringed, waiting for the strike. _"I'm dying just like you wanted!"_ The sound of crunching snow filled her ears as she suddenly found herself moving towards the Longfort, her own words filling her mind and deafening her above her footsteps. _"Are you happy now, Chrom?!"_ Panic flooded her bloodstream as she raced down the snow-covered hill she had been standing on. _"Say it!"_ The look of terror on the prince's face was clearer than ever now as she skid down the slope and raced atop the stone towards the two. _"Say that this makes you happy."_ Bolts of electricity raced up her arm as she ran towards them and prepared her only shot. With a desperate leap forward, the substantially weakened Thoron magic raced ahead and slammed into the knight's back. _"Please, say that this makes you happy."_ The Feroxi soldier screamed out in pain as his body shook with the charge before falling face-first in the stone. His lance fell with a loud clatter as the world grew silent.

 _"No."_

Robin slowly picked herself off the ground before anyone could notice she had fallen. The snow had cloaked her descent just enough to mask her fall, but she doubted that anyone was paying attention to her anyway. Her brown eyes quickly flickered to the prince she had rescued. Chrom was still on his hands and knees, a look of awe across his face. He was still young; the thin lines of stress and the scars of war were nowhere to be seen on his face. She gently reached out and grabbed the prince's wrists, her fingers burning from the contact. With a slight lift of her heels, she pulled him back on his feet. She reluctantly let go before taking a step back, her head low. Slowly, Robin walked over to the fallen Falchion and bent over, picking it up with red fingers. The young woman then turned back to the fallen royal and extended the weapon to its owner. The prince faltered for a moment before taking it from her hand and thanking her with a quiet voice. Confusion filled her mind as she thought back on the final word to enter her mind. That had been Chrom's voice, not hers. Could that have been the word lost to the darkness? If it was, why? Why would he say that seeing her die did _not_ make her happy?

She didn't have long to think on it. Before she knew it, a young man with a tactician's cloak and white hair was running up to them with wide eyes. Brown eyes, just like hers. Robin narrowed her eyes in the shadow of her hood. She was suddenly thankful that she had pulled her hood back up; she didn't quite know how to explain how similar they looked. Her reflection may be of another gender here, but he was similar enough in size and build to make them look like twins. She had finer features, sure, but there was no mistaking their resemblance.

"Thank you for your aid." Chrom slowly spoke up, his voice gentle and kind. It brought a pain to her chest as she looked up at him, watching him with a shivering hand. He looked just like the Chrom she had once known, the Chrom that had loved her and stood beside her no matter what. The prince extended a pale hand before smiling at her, his blue eyes bright. "May I ask your name, tactician?"

Robin slowly looked back to the Robin of this world, the man watching them with curious eyes. She knew that she wanted to go by something else in this world. The Robin she once was had died in vain on Grima's back, bleeding out in front of those that had rejected her and left to die without any aid. Robin was now the man in front of her, a tactician with short white hair and searching brown eyes. The young woman looked back to Chrom to find herself drawn into his blue eyes, just like she had always been. A warm feeling rose in her chest, one that had died along with her hope in that terrible battle. This feeling had _literally_ been the death of her and yet it still remained. She wanted nothing more to shake it off and live without it. It was better that way, anyway. Still, the feeling brought back a better memory, one of a laughing prince and a warm campfire.

 _The crackling of the burning wood pulled Robin out of her thoughts. Across from her sat Chrom, the man that had taken her in after she had been found with no memories in a field. It had been a few months since then and now she could hardly imagine a life without the Shepherds. The way Chrom treated her...it felt wonderful. He seemed to truly care about her well-being and respect her abilities, even under his lieutenant's scrutiny. His blue eyes swirled with orange from the flames as she pulled another mouthful of her dinner away from the bone._

 _"Little Bird," Chrom suddenly chuckled._

 _Robin forced herself to swallow her food before talking. "What?" Her eyes narrowed as Chrom leaned back and looked up at the sky, admiring the twinkling stars above them. "Little Bird? Just what are you talking about, Chrom?" The blue-haired man grinned as he tilted his head back down to his tactician. His eyes were still bright as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck as if it were suddenly sore._

 _"Little Bird," he repeated. "You're like a little bird." Robin lowered her leg of rabbit towards her lap as she stared at her commander. "You fly across the battlefield, eat small bites of food at a time, have small features that one would think means that you're fragile, but instead you're very resilient." His smile eased as he gained a twinkle of humor in his eyes. "Besides that, your name makes one think of a bird quite easily." The white-haired woman tilted her head in thought with baffled eyes as Chrom just laughed. "It seems like the perfect nickname for you, Robin."_

 _The white-haired tactician nodded her head thoughtfully before smiling back at the prince. "I suppose you do have a point." Her brown eyes seemed to absorb the orange fire in front of her, making her eyes a vibrant tangerine. "That's probably why my name is Robin, after all. Perhaps my mother thought I was like a little bird and named me after one..." Her gaze clouded over with her own thoughts before she was snapped back to the present. Chrom let out a chuckle before flashing another grin that seemed to make her heart speed up in her chest._

 _"That's what I'll call you from now on. Little Bird."_

Robin felt a bit of longing enter her chest as she stared at the prince. The days when she was Little Bird were the happiest in her life. Those days may have been filled with battles and strife, but she at least had the love of the Shepherds and a solid feeling of her place. She knew back then that her place was beside Chrom. She would serve him in any way she could. There was never any venom towards her expect from Plegians. She truly had been the happiest during that war with the barren kingdom. Her eyes caught a glimpse of his outstretched hand again, reminding her of what she was doing. With a quiet swallow to calm herself, the woman offered her own hand.

The pale skin shivered in the cold as she hardly brushed fingers with the royal. With a sudden burst of confidence, she grasped his hand and held it tightly. Little flames raced up her fingers as the blue-haired man shook hands with her, oblivious to her previous mental warfare. Her heart raced in her chest as their fingers touched, much to her irritation. With a silent clearing of her throat, the white-haired tactician threw her voice and finally spoke to the man before her.

"You may call me Little Bird."

* * *

 _Author's Note: I wrote this to break out of a writer's block I had and it somehow ended up having 11,171 words...ouch. That's the most I've ever written for a single chapter or one-shot. So, that's a good thing I guess.  
_

 _I decided to write a bit more for Little Bird, ha. I know the last thing I wrote was angst...but I wrote more! So, yay? Either way, this is probably the most depressing thing I've ever written. Unfortunately, this is the reason behind Little Bird's behavior in my other one-shot,_ "Omens and Visitors" _. After Lucina arrived, her whole life was flipped upside down. Everything she had done in the past war was forgotten as people turned on her, fearing the Grima within._

 _Little Bird is based on the idea of another result of Lucina's confession at the end of chapter thirteen/beginning of chapter fourteen. When the avatar is female and is not married to Chrom, she is noticably more volatile towards her and quite hateful to the tactician. Taking these feelings, I decided to explore an alternate result of that fateful day when the Shepherds learned of not the wolf in their flock, but of the dragon within it. Instead of accepting this, they turn away out of fear and hatred of Grima. And so, Little Bird was born._


End file.
